Kukla's Korner Hockey

He surrendered two shaky goals in the first period -- Andrei Loktionov buried a rebound five-hole at 7:22; Adam Henrique beat him from the left faceoff circle later in the frame -- and didn't even remotely resemble the same player that was aggressive in turning away all 22 shots in a shutout performance against the Capitals on Wednesday.

In fact, he hasn't really resembled his former Vezina Trophy-winning self all season, though it's still early. The stretch is unlike any other in recent memory for Lundqvist, and it's cause for concern.

In seven appearances this season, Lundqvist has given up 20 goals for a 3.45 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage.

"I don't want to over-analyze it. There are a few things I need to work on, but I think mostly it's the way I focus," he said. "When I play well, my focus is really crisp and I'm making good decisions. I feel like right now, it's a little up and down in how well I make decisions out there."